Gas Prices!!!

[ronwill]

Originally Posted by rockwerks

Last years major price jumps had absolutely nothing to do with OPEC but rather US greed speculation on the price of gas. Our commodities market drove the price up nearly 1.50 per gallon. Bush opened up areas offshore and Alaska to new exploration and the next day the price dropped 40.00 per barrel

This may be somewhat true, however, the oil price probably would have come down anyway. The only way for us to control oil prices is to become completely independent and refine our own oil. Simply drilling for more oil would only add to the world market. This would mean opening up refineries as well as more drill rigs. I just don't see this happening because of the current ecological standards and the desire of people not to have a refinery in their back yard. As much as we want to blame the president for these problems, he actually has very little influence on them. Gas will go up every Summer and then come down in price when vacation season is over (maybe not as low as it started though).

[critter29483]

Greed is the correct answer!

Almost 40 years ago I helped a friend run his gas station. We ordered fuel and when it came in it was paid for. The price at the pump was then adjusted according to the taxes and our mark-up. It was that simple. You could be pretty certain that the price wasn’t going to change until the next delivery. Now, almost every gas station, big or small, has a digital sign board with the CURRENT fuel prices. Who are they kidding?

Years ago, every single pump, no matter what the grade, was required to have signage that listed the fuel price, federal, state and local excise taxes. I wonder why they’re not posted any more?

One thing that few are even aware of, or have ever taken into account is, what about all of the taxes that are levied on the fuel BEFORE it even get’s to the pump? Just think about it for a minute. There are taxes on everything from the well to the nozzle, and all of the ships, trucks, equipment and personnel in between. That can be mind boggling.

By the way, has anyone ever checked into the real numbers as to just how much crude we have in the fields on the North Face of Alaska? You'll find that a bit mind boggling as well. And can you guess why a majority of it is being sold overseas? Check line one for the correct answer.

Why was it that when oil was supposed to be in the shortest supply ever, the oil companies made the greatest profits ever in history? Again, check line one for the correct answer.


“He that is of the opinion money will do everything, may well be suspected of doing everything for money.”
Benjamin Franklin

[Sheldon]

Originally Posted by ronwill

I don't see why everyone is surprised at gas prices going up at the start of Summer. They've done so for as long as I can remember and I'm and old guy. Think back and you'll remember this is not affiliated with who's in office just the start of heavy travel season.

Been around a spell too and the spiking of gas prices for the summer isn't that old of a concept, gas stations use to go into direct competition and prices would lower in order to get peoples business, and then the price controls started to make things better (Carter) , and then Oil was deregulated and went on the commodities market (Carter again) and things got real insane, so apparently you are not as old as I or have a long memory.
Then they stopped building refineries because of the EPA rules, and yet more government intervention wait it think that was Carter that started that ball rolling too....

Originally Posted by ricbak

You're right, It's going to be a long 4 years.. On the gas prices, Here, too, the prices are going insane again.
Check out this web site. GasBuddy.com - Find Low Gas Prices in the USA and Canada

Down the left side of the page is a gas "Temperature" Map.
USA National Gas Temperature Map - GasBuddy.com
It is pretty revealing on the prices here in the midwest.

Knew about the gas buddy but not the tempreture link thanks that is good information.

[ronwill]

Originally Posted by Sheldon

Been around a spell too and the spiking of gas prices for the summer isn't that old of a concept, gas stations use to go into direct competition and prices would lower in order to get peoples business, and then the price controls started to make things better (Carter) , and then Oil was deregulated and went on the commodities market (Carter again) and things got real insane, so apparently you are not as old as I or have a long memory.

Let's just say I remember gas at 15.9 during "gas wars" with an everyday price of 24.9 and full service at that. While this was the norm at local (in town) stations those along the highways raised theirs during peak travel season, however, 30.9 or so wasn't that bad. This has been a long tradition and just became more apparent in the late 70's just after the gas crunch. My memory hasn't gone (yet) and some forget summer gas increases from just last year where they hit the highest in U.S. history. Hopefully the predictions they won't get that high this summer will be true.

[Sheldon]

Originally Posted by ronwill

Let's just say I remember gas at 15.9 during "gas wars" with an everyday price of 24.9 and full service at that. While this was the norm at local (in town) stations those along the highways raised theirs during peak travel season, however, 30.9 or so wasn't that bad. This has been a long tradition and just became more apparent in the late 70's just after the gas crunch. My memory hasn't gone (yet) and some forget summer gas increases from just last year where they hit the highest in U.S. history. Hopefully the predictions they won't get that high this summer will be true.

Yeah you are younger than me, My gas wars were 10 cents a gallon days, and there were rumors of 5 cents in a few states..... 25 cent a gallon stuff was the 115 octane high end full service gas stations stuff that came along much later, 15 cent a gallon regular was the norm. Octane ratings were all over the place back then dependent upon brand, low 80's for the cheap stuff at the bargain stations, and you could get 118 at Standard gas stations....

Heck I worked pumping the 15 cent stuff and fixing cars during my senior year in HS, I sent away one friend that came by to buy gas just because I worked there. He was a newly wedded 18 year old and sent them to the cheap stations for the 13 cent a gallon lower octane stuff, told him he needed to buy the cheaper gas and save his money and not be buying the 25 cent premium.

[MNSteve]

It's a little hard to adjust when the price of gas goes up $.20 in one week. Up here gas has gone up over $.50 a gallon the past month. In fact it just went up to $2.67 from $2.59 a gallon. At the beginning of May, gas was $1.91 a gallon. IMHO the speculators are jacking up the price of oil. And we are in a recession.

[Sheldon]

Originally Posted by MNSteve

It's a little hard to adjust when the price of gas goes up $.20 in one week. Up here gas has gone up over $.50 a gallon the past month. In fact it just went up to $2.67 from $2.59 a gallon. At the beginning of May, gas was $1.91 a gallon. IMHO the speculators are jacking up the price of oil. And we are in a recession.

try @2.95 at the bargain stations here.....

[ronwill]

Originally Posted by Sheldon

Yeah you are younger than me, My gas wars were 10 cents a gallon days, and there were rumors of 5 cents in a few states.

May be a little younger but I'll bet not that much. Been driving legally since 68 and traveled Route 66, now I40 most of the way.

[Sheldon]

Originally Posted by ronwill

May be a little younger but I'll bet not that much. Been driving legally since 68 and traveled Route 66, now I40 most of the way.

No I-40 parallels route 66 and I have been on both, lots of unique places on the old 66, and my legal driving year was 64 and I worked in a gas station pumping gas and working on cars then too, Standard Oil now AMCO, full service rain or shine.... I could fill up the tank on my 61 corvair for a buck, and drive all day, and when someone said 50 cents worth please it was 5 gallons....

[ronwill]

Originally Posted by Sheldon

No I-40 parallels route 66 and I have been on both, lots of unique places on the old 66, and my legal driving year was 64 and I worked in a gas station pumping gas and working on cars then too, Standard Oil now AMCO, full service rain or shine.... I could fill up the tank on my 61 corvair for a buck, and drive all day, and when someone said 50 cents worth please it was 5 gallons....

Knew you weren't that much older than me. As for route 66, yes much of it parallels I-40. But areas in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas absorbed parts of it for the freeway. I've traveled the original and the "scenic" routes and you enter and exit I-40 in several places to take the entire trip, at least until Oklahoma where route 66 turns more northerly and I-40 continues west.